Wizards of Waverly Place/YMMV

Funny?... or worst part of the show?

• Accidental Innuendo: In "Justin's Little Sister", Alex blatantly admits to her mother that the idea of her parents canoodling grosses her out more than the idea of going out with her own brother. This scene can be considered the turning point for many fans of the show, as from this point on you were either a Jalex fan or you weren't. Note that is not a case of That Came Out Wrong, as neither her or her mother saw anything wrong with this.
  • Perhaps not-so-accidental: in "Helping Hand", after Max 'invents' his toothbrush/backscratcher, Jerry and Theresa have a conversation debating how unfair their 'backscratching' is in bed. Jerry accuses Theresa of pretending to be too tired to 'scatch his back' and she accuses him of not returning the favour, stating "It's just scratch, I'm done."
• Actor Shipping: Most people out there think that Selena Gomez and David Henrie look cute together. In a round-about way of avoiding Squick, many fans who can't stomach their character pairing resort to shipping them in real life instead while watching the show.
  • In a recent interview, her perfect guy description basically was the impersonation of David, physic and personality likewise: "My color of hair. I don't know, i've never been attracted to someone who doesn't have brown hair. Tall, cause I like to feel short. I don't like to feel taller than someone, and I do like to wear heels so someone has to be taller than me. Green eyes because I don't have green eyes and I think they are very pretty. Muscular, kind of. Or between. I dont like them to be too muscular, but I want them to take care of me. Uh, scruffy. I kind of like a little scruff. Goofy and a little serious because I love to have a good time but I also like someone who can have an intellectual conversation."
• Alternate Aesop Interpretation: Alex is very prone to this.
• Alternate Character Interpretation:
  • Alex, Type IV Anti-Hero, or Type IV Anti-Villain?
    • Alex enjoys fighting with Justin and teases him relentlessly, mainly because she wants to get his attention and seeks his acceptance. This is heavily implied in some episodes like "Dollhouse", where she laughs and jumps happily when Justin yells at her, saying "there's the fight I was looking for!", then hugs him, and Art Museum Piece when she wants him to say that her work is cool. This interpretation of Alex was pretty much made canon with the episode "Delinquent Justin", where Alex reveals her plan to keep Justin from leaving and going to college. This showed that Alex has spent at least the last 4-5 years of her life wanting Justin's praise and attention, most of her schemes are simply trying to keep it.
  • Also, is Justin really the sweet nerd he appears to be, or one of the show's biggest manipulative bastards. He puts on an act that he is always punished and Alex gets away with everything, but in every episode Alex will get in trouble even unfairly, and he will usually be pardoned since he is the good kid.
• And the Fandom Rejoiced: The announcement of a 4th season and a 2nd movie.
  • Turns out the second movie was cancelled.
• Base Breaker: Max.
• Broken Base: Alex is either a Noble Demon or the only reason to watch the show.
• Complete Monster: Gorog. Consider that he made everyone on the planet evil, if even for a little while, with the whole Moral Compass, it brings tons of Fridge Horror. Who knows how many rapes, murders and other things he was responsible for? It's possible that he could have made most of the world cross the Moral Event Horizon when he set the Moral Compass to evil.
• Creator's Pet: Mason. No matter what he does, Alex will always take him back.
• Crossover Ship: Alex/Sam Puckett.
• Designated Villain: Stevie. Why would allowing all wizards to keep their powers be a bad thing? This question is never answered. Word of God said If you can't see what was wrong with Stevie's plan, maybe you have a little evil in you yourself. In other words... Yes because if Stevie had spoken up the lives as a Wizard would be very different.
  • There is the question of whether or not she wants to help everyone or just keep HER powers. The problem would be that regardless of how selfish or selfless her motives were, her plan would be beneficial for other wizards.
  • It is also implied that one of the major factors of the competition is With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility, so if a ton of irresponsible wizards kept their powers, it would cause catastrophic results.
• Die for Our Ship: Mason is starting to get this treatment from Jalex fans. Same for Harper, but, since her obsession with Justin has been diminished, she is apparently much more likable now. Fortunately for Juliet, she is the Ensemble Darkhorse, so she has been saved from this.
• Dude, Not Funny: Max is the reigning king of inappropriate comedy timing. The newer episodes tend to fall under this, though when you realize that the Flanderization of the characters is at its highest point ever, you have good reason to think so.
  • Stevie's death anyone? A goddamn laughtrack is played!
• Ear Worm: The movie's theme song. Oh, oh, ohhh, it's magic! You know.
• Ensemble Darkhorse: Stevie. Zeke and Juliet too, which probably led to their increased role and further appearances in the show.
• Executive Meddling: Disney is pushing the creators hard for Mason/Alex.
• Enforced Method Acting: A lot. The show is filled with improv from the more talented actors, and they just role with it.
• Family-Unfriendly Aesop:

Alex: I was starting to think that telling the truth was better, but then Justin's lie fixed everything.

• • Plus the Aesop of the movie seemed to be "No matter how hard you study and work, the people with natural talent will always kick your ass."
  • In the most recent episode, going outside the rules to do what you feel is right results in you receiving the harshest punishment you can get. Also includes the one time the laziest person wants to do something, it's wrong.
• Fan Disservice: Alex's 'bingo arms'... *gag*
• Fanon: A good half of the fandom believes that someone is adopted. The most accused of this fate is Justin, because he doesn't look Latino like Alex and Max. The three kids are Latino and Italian, Justin simply inherited his looks from his father. Not to mention Justin was ripped from existence in The Movie. This infers that if anyone were to be adopted, it would be Alex. The reason she didn't get taken away was hand waved, leaving it up to fans to debate.
  • A much common fan theory is that Stevie is a lesbian. There's nothing ever to refute it in canon and the character is Ambiguously Gay
• Fan-Preferred Couple:
  • Justin and Alex. The last movie suggests that even the producers might have become Jalex fans. (along with almost every fan of the show)
  • This carries onto the crew as well. Justin's actor David Henrie recently stated the ending to "Wizards vs. Werewolves", which ends with Justin and Alex's first loves being killed off, leaving them heartbroken and leaning on each other for support, along with a questionable dialogue consisting of We're not normal people..., is his favorite ending ever.
  • Selena Gomez(Alex) declared that her favorite scene from the movie is the campfire scene, which is the most suggestive and intimate scene between Justin and Alex ever, saying that it's a real moment between a brother and a sister. What she meant by real, it's up to fans to decide...
  • She has said on more than one occasion that the campfire scene is also David's favorite scene in the movie as well.
  • The creators admitted that they have known about the Jalex fandom for a long time now, way before the movie came out. So in theory, they introduced huge amounts of Justin/Alex in the movie with full intentions on what they were doing, knowing it would provide fuel for the majority of the fans' ship. One could even speculate that all the innuendo in those scenes aren't just the fans' wild imagination, it was actually real and there.
  • It's almost beyond being subtext at this point. In the most recent episode, there's a sweet little scene near the end where Justin basically says that Alex completes him and that he misses her. She says that she misses him too. That's about as close as you can get to saying I love you without actually saying it.
• Fetish Retardant: Kelbo in his Shakira outfit.
• Foe Yay: Alex and Gigi.
  • Foe Yay: Justin's and Alex's teasing sibling rivalry becomes harsh and very bitter at times, especially in the third season. And this makes their heartwarming moments much more unusual. "Eat to the Beat" is a good example.
• Follow the Leader: There are some very obvious similarities to other exisiting series. In fact, multiple episode plots seem to be copied directly from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. (e.g. Alex getting trapped inside her mirror or Alex being trapped inside a silent movie. Both of those happened to Sabrina.)
• Harsher in Hindsight: After Ian Abercrombie's death, Professor Crumbs retiring the Headmaster of Wiztech position to Justin seems a little bit more difficult to watch.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: The show was originally conceived with Justin and Alex being friends instead of siblings, the UST between the actors and the characters they play is almost visible from space, 'Jalex' is the preferred ship for most fans - and now, in Real Life, Selena Gomez is dating a boy named 'Justin'.
  • The other ship that involves Alex is with a guy named Mason. Alex/Mason. Think about it for a while.
• Hollywood Pudgy: Averted with Harper, played straight with Jerry. Harper would qualify as fat in most TV series (although nowhere else) but not even Gigi ever brings it up. Not necessarily averted, they seem to find some occasions to hint at Harper's pudginess. Example: Baby Cupid, Justin couldn't push Harper in her chair no matter how hard he tried. (whether or not this was a joke about Justin being weak or Harper being fat is up to the viewer).
• Ho Yay:
  • There seems to be some between Justin and his dad (after all, Justin is his favorite). More noticeable is the amount between Max and his Conscience--he and his Conscience were wrestling (which looked very suggestive) and his Conscience has even sat on his lap. It probably doesn't help that his Conscience is played by Moises Arias, Jake T. Austin's (the actor who plays Max) best friend in real life.
  • Max and Mason have quite a bit, too, especially from Max's side. It seems like at first he's just trying to get on Alex's new boyfriend's good side, but then Mason breaks Alex's heart, the rest of the family hates him, and...what's this? Max is following him down the street? Mason tries to convince him that maybe they shouldn't keep hanging out, Max debates being hurt over it and then pretty much just ignores it? Yeah. There's something there. And it seems one-sided until the end of the movie, when Max is howling from the top of the castle and Mason returns. And Max nearly cries. And...it's just all kinda weird, really.
  • Then there's the episode where teenage Max and Justin wrestle each other... resulting in lines like this:

Max: Give up yet?
Justin: Of course not, I'm on top of you.

• • Alex and the Tutor. Alex wanted to befriend that girl so much that she fought with Justin (who wanted to date the Tutor) for an entire episode, like two beings that fight for the same love partner. It didn't help the fact that, at the end, the Tutor reveals herself to be an elf, explaining to them that "everyone loves elves", which validates the insights regarding Alex's true intentions.
  • Also there is quite much of this between Zeke and Justin, too, with more on Zeke's part. When Alex tells him that Justin doesn't want to be his partner anymore, he almost has a breakdown.

Zeke: Goodbye, old science partner. If that water powered engine doesn't make you happy... you know where I'll be. In the library, reading comic books.

• • Alex and Stevie. And occasionally Harper, which turns "Third Wheel" into a Love Triangle.
• Incest Yay Shipping: Jalex (Justin and Alex who are brother and sister) is the most popular ship for Wizards of Waverly Place. It may also be a case of Getting Crap Past the Radar.
• Jerkass Woobie: Alex, in The Movie.
• Launcher of a Thousand Ships: Alex. In addition to the huge Jalex community, Alex is shipped with Harper, Max, Alex herself. Juliet. Dean. Stevie. Mason. Zeke. Theresa. Basically anyone who ever comes onto the show.
  • Sam and Zack (in another shows).
• Magnificent Bitch: Alex Russo at her best (or worst) moments.
• Mind Game Ship: Expect mind games to be played between Justin and Alex in almost any episode you watch.
  • A great example of this aspect of their relationship is in "Fairy Tale". She acts really nice to Justin to get a role in his play, and when that doesn't work, she flat out uses mind games to trick him into getting it.
• Misaimed Fandom: Regarding Justin's and Alex's relationship. Although the fandom might have made itself misaimed for noble purposes.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Arguably the entire point of the series - and certainly The Movie. Justin also does this by exposing the wizard world in the season three finale.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • A 2198-year old creepy woman lurking around in the woods. Not to mention she's pretty much stalking her ex-boyfriend, watching him from the shadows.
  • Alex's utterly morbid 'Pancake Monster' voice... -shudder-
  • For some children, the vampire Juliet turning into a giant bat or the werewolf Mason growling and howling at the moon is this.
  • Stevie getting turned to ice and shattered.
• No Yay: There can't be many fans left out there that do not see the brother-sister conflict slash uncomfortable romantic flirtation between Justin and Alex.
• Portmanteau Couple Name: Jalex (Justin/Alex) -- Your Squick May Vary. Also, Marper (Max/Harper)- apparently this is rubbing off on the fans more than the Official Couple, Zarper (Zeke/Harper), Alason (Alex/Mason), Jax (Justin/Max) and Halex (Alex/Harper)- two of the most popular same-sex pairings.
• Recycled Script: I remember that Alpha Bitch of the Week's group thought that The Libby had wet herself even though they saw it. Hmmm, I wonder what other Disney show also did this?
• Relationship Writing Fumble: Inadvertently or otherwise, the writers have added heaps of Incest Yay to Justin and Alex's sibling relationship. Consequently, Jalex is the Fan-Preferred Couple of the show. In a Disney show. For children.
• Replacement Scrappy: Maxine(Max in a little girl body) to fans of Max' actor, the temporarily absent Jake T. Austin.
• The Scrappy: Mason. Many fans don't like the way Alex acts so different when he's around, not to mention how he was a Jerkass stalker in "Wizards vs. Werewolves", "killing" Juliet and effectively rendering both Justin and Alex heartbroken for the majority of Season 3. Most people who like him are either Alason shippers, or they just think Gregg Sulkin is cute.
  • Max to some people, though Season 4 seemed to make people like him a lot more.
    • Max's conscience however is not really liked by anyone since his whole exist was just a reason to put Moises Arias on the show.
• Ship Sinking:
  • Whether the creators have been asked to do this or they've just done it because they are a little scared by the size of the Jalex fandom, Justin/Alex seems to be Jossed, especially in the 3rd and 4th seasons. With the exception of two or three tender moments, Season 4 is almost void of Alex/Justin scenes, compared to the first and the second season, which was almost literally every episode.
• Strangled by the Red String:
  • Mason and Alex. Literally together for only an episode before Alex was 'in love' with him. Then you were supposed to be sad for him when he gets turned into a wolf, after he flat out tried to injure/kill Justin and Juliet for no apparent reason.
  • Meanwhile, Alex seems to not care that Juliet and Justin's lives are in danger at all, although this is can be attributed to bad writing.
  • In true Strangled by the Red String fashion, Mason was killed off, and most of the fandom believes this is because the relationship can't compete with other possibilities.
  • And then later, due to Executive Meddling, he was brought back again. The strangling continues.
• Tastes Like Diabetes: Alex of all people, in "Positive Alex".
  • Alex and Mason's relationship. Apart from the fact that the whole thing is just a Strangled by the Red String case, their supposedly "perfect couple" image comes off as downright cheesy.
• Tear Jerker: At the end of The Movie, when Justin loses his memory, Alex starts crying and tells him her true feelings, things that she wouldn't normally say. The scene can be seen here.
  • During the whole "girlfriend's been kidnapped by a mummy" fiasco, and later when Juliet becomes an old lady. A few of the moments where Justin was on the verge of tears would have come across as cheesy, except that dammit David Henrie can act.
  • In the Grand Finale, during the montage where the viewer sees the three Russo siblings attempting to work to get the sub shop back in business. They slowly soften up to each other after having been at each other's throats for having thought that Alex got them disqualified from the wizard competition. Eventually, they all work well together, bring in enough business, and bring their parents back.
• True Art Is Angsty: The motif of most Jalex shippers. Don't expect a good Jalex fanfic to have a happy ending.
• Unintentionally Sympathetic: Stevie. See Designated Villain above.
• Villain Decay: The mummy isn't nearly as badass as he was at the end of the Chronicles of Moises arc, and his defeat is ridiculously easy.
• What an Idiot!:
  • Max releasing all the monsters into New York City so Justin will be shown up and not the best wizard in the family when he tries to catch them all and fails. Too Dumb to Live and Flanderization doesn't even to begin to cover just what an idiot Max has become.
  • Alex for not figuring out that Stevie was a wizard in the first episode in which she appeared. Why should she have figured it out? Because when Alex talked to the posters of Justin, they said they promised they wouldn't rat out the person who posted them, which means the person who posted them must have communicated with the posters, something no mortal could have done.
  • Justin reveals to the government agents that he's a wizard and the location of the portal to the Wizard World. He does it because they convince him there will be an alien invasion, complete with a tape of aliens discussing battle plans in a language, Justin MADE UP HIMSELF. He doesn't even acknowledge the Fridge Logic when Alex points it out to him. The agents have to flat out tell him that that they tricked him.
• What Do You Mean It's for Kids?:
  • This show is recently pushing the limits on what can be shown on Disney Channel due to some content (werewolves, vampires, Alex's Anti-Villain tendencies).
  • They've also killed off quite a few characters (such as Stevie) and react rather coldly to their deaths--they go on as if nothing ever happened and really don't seem to care.
  • The dark angels who wanted to invoke some sort of Apocalypse, before they got there halfway.
    • Don't forget that that same episode had Max maliciously turning the girls from the sleepover into fruit the family was going to eat. The final scene is the family listening to the fruit tell jokes. The audience is left to assume they changed them back to girls and wiped their memories or something, but there was some pretty dark humour in that scene, when Jerry practically threatened to put them into a blender.
  • There's a very dark sense of humor always underneath the surface, certainly where Harper's characterization is concerned, and the relations between Theresa and Jerry, or the parent Russos and their children are concerned. The dysfunction is often Flanderized and/or Played for Laughs.
• What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic: When Justin and Harper find Alex who is painting in an artists alley she's painted her first initial surrounded by a circle. That symbol also happens to be the universal symbol for anarchy. Symbolic much?
• What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?: Stevie incites an insurrection in order to overturn the Council's "one wizard per family" rule. Irresponsible rabble-rousing, or much-needed social reform? You be the judge.